The Gift of Laying My Burdens Down: How God, the 12 Steps, a Sponsor, and a Home Group Changed My Life

There was a time in my life when I felt like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. Every problem, every worry, and every mistake sat heavy on my back. I walked through each day with my head down, my heart tired, and my spirit weak. I didn’t know how to let go of it. I didn’t even know I could.

Then something happened. I found God. I found the 12 Steps. I found a sponsor. And I found a home group. These gifts changed everything for me.

Learning I Don’t Have to Carry It All

In the past, I thought I had to fix every problem by myself. If something went wrong, it was my job to make it right. I believed that asking for help was a sign of weakness. But what I didn’t understand was that none of us are made to carry everything alone.

Through the 12 Steps, I learned it was okay to admit when I was powerless. Step One taught me that my life had become unmanageable. That was a hard truth, but it was also the first sign of hope.

A Sponsor Who Showed Me the Way

My sponsor was the first person who told me it was okay to let go. They didn’t just say the words — they showed me how. When I would call, weighed down with worry, my sponsor would remind me, “You’re not God. You don’t have to carry this. Let’s lay it down.”

We would pray together. We would talk about the things I could control and the things I needed to turn over. Slowly, I started to understand what it meant to surrender. It didn’t mean giving up. It meant trusting God to hold what I could not.

The Power of a Home Group

In my home group, I saw other people do the same thing. I listened as they shared their fears, their struggles, and their mistakes. I saw them cry. I saw them laugh. And I saw them let go.

There is something beautiful about a group of people who understand what you’re going through. People who remind you that you’re not alone. My home group gave me a safe place to lay down my burdens, and they showed me how to pick up peace in its place.

The Gift of God’s Love

Most of all, I discovered God’s love. In the stillness of prayer, in the words of my sponsor, and in the voices of my home group, I felt it. I realized that God wasn’t waiting to punish me or shame me. God was waiting to hold me.

I started a simple practice. Every morning, I would close my eyes and picture myself carrying a heavy bag. Inside were my fears, my mistakes, my regrets, and my worries. I would walk to

God, who always looked at me with kindness. I would lay my bag at His feet and feel my shoulders lighten. Then, I would say thank you.

It sounds simple, but it changed my heart.

A New Way to Live

Today, I no longer believe I have to carry every burden. I know that God is bigger than any problem I will ever face. I know my sponsor is there to remind me of the truth. I know my home group will listen and love me through every storm.

And the 12 Steps? They are the path I walk when I forget how to let go. They lead me back to peace. They teach me to trust. They help me remember that life is lighter when I share it with others and lay it down at God’s feet.

The gift I’ve received is one I want to pass on to you. You don’t have to carry it all. There is a place where you can lay it down. There is a God who loves you. There are people who will walk with you. There is a new way to live, and it begins with surrender.

If you’re carrying too much today, stop for a moment. Close your eyes. Picture yourself carrying a heavy load. Now, find that loving, strong, comforting presence — however you see God — and lay your burdens down. Feel the weight leave your heart. Take a deep breath. You are free.

That is the gift I was given, and I pray you receive it too.

You gottawanna let go Father help me to let go and you do the do I love you